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Students of Color Perspectives: Brown’s First-Gen Community

Hi there! I’m Laura Muñoz, a Freshman from Miami. I’m your Students of Color Perspectives blogger and I’ll write about what it means to be a proud (First-Gen, Feminist) Cubanita here at Brown (the best school on Earth).

Hello readers and happy spring semester!

I thought I’d kick off this semester with a post all about the First-Gens@Brown group and the First-Generation and Low-Income Center (lovingly nicknamed The FliCenter). The group and the center are spots loved and frequented by many Brown students, and often many students of color since the first-generation and low-income identities frequently intersect with many others identities, such as race/ethnicity.

First-Gens@Brown

This is the first-generation student group- it is student-run and student led. The wonderful Co-Presidents are Monica Yang ‘18 and Alexis Rodriguez-Camacho ‘18. They, along with the rest of the eboard and members, strive to create a welcoming, accepting, safe space for all first-gen students to share their successes, disappointments, resources, and experiences comfortably with others who may share similar experiences. The group hosts weekly meetings every sunday, the format of which varies depending on the needs of the members for that week. Sometimes, meetings will consists of meaningful, often difficult discussions about home/homesickness and struggles that first-gen students face. Other times, meetings consist of self-care activities or open spaces to freely socialize with other members or do work for classes. First-Gens@Brown also handles 1vyG, the inter-ivy first-gen college student conference held each spring. In addition, the group is responsible for the FLIP-Lending Library and “How to Brown” Guidebook. The First-Gens@Brown student group is integral to Brown’s community- it is a priceless place of comfort and support.

The Fli-Center

The Fli-Center was opened just this past Fall and represented a major victory for first-gen students, professors, and staff who have been working toward this for years. The center is the first of its kind anywhere in the country. It is located on the fifth floor of the Sciences Library (aka the SciLi) and is open every day. There are student staffers and professional staffers who serve as resources for students who can drop by to ask questions. First-Gens@Brown student group members frequent the FliCenter which boasts a lounge and open study space that is always very quiet and calm.The FliCenter also puts on lots of really exciting programming which is receptive to students’ needs. For instance, at the end of fall semester they held a Career Week, where each day consisted of a different presentation or panel on issues related to careers and internships. One day they had staffers from the CareerLAB come in to give a presentation on resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn. Another day, they had a group of upperclassmen speak on how they found their internships and advice they had to find and make the most of them. The Fli-Center is a welcoming center all first-gen students should take advantage of! You can find more information on it here: https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/support/first-generation-students/

If you have any questions, comments, or just want to chat, please feel free to email me at laura_munoz@brown.edu. (Seriously, do. I love talking about Brown. I’m obsessed with this place.) Gracias!